Week 1: Banish Acne Scars

Man oh man, it feels so good to finally be posting this blog!  For those of you who are new to my blog and this is the first one that you have stumbled across, 
WELCOME! 

My name is Jessica Glynn but I mostly go by my last name (pronounced "gl-IN").

And I've been meaning to create some sort of documentation of the changes that my skin went through in my first year of university.

The pictures of me in the pink Nike T-shirt were taken on July 31, 2011 so roughly three and a half years ago (16 years old, no face make-up on).  As you can see I had pretty decent skin; very clear, not much discolouration, and freckles on and around the sides of my nose.

All throughout high school (grade 9-12) my skin was pretty much like this, aside from the monthly PMS blemish or stress pimple during exam times.  It wasn't until my first year of university where the problems started to occur. 

Now, here's my theory of why I think my skin took a turn for the worse:

1.  University was my first ever time actually living away from home (because my school was far away from my hometown, I lived on Residence) so therefore this caused some stress 

2.  Living on residence meant that I'd have to buy a "Meal Plan" which is basically a shit ton of money on overly expensive fatty foods in cafeterias.

3.  If you've ever completed your first year of university/college you'd know that... that shit is tough work.  There are a lot of assignments and readings and it got very stressful very fast.

4.  Lack of sleep (due to school work and social life)

5.  Increase in caffeine which is definitely something you want to avoid if you can

Basically, university = no sleep = stress = lots of stress eating = poor health choices. 

Here are a couple of my Instagram pictures at the time (most of which I had make-up on in but you get my point):

In my first year my acne reeeeeally flared up and I had a bunch of pimples and small bumps which caused me to pick at them and pop them (which if you have active acne right now DO NOT do! It is so bad for your skin).  The summer after my first year I decided that I needed to do something about it because it really bothered me.  I tried out the Spectro Gel for about 4 months and saw little to no results.

Then I decided to splurge on the Cetaphil line and thank God I came across that brand because it did wonders to my skin.  I have a separate blog post that I can link to if you'd like to check out more about that (click here for that!).  But Cetaphil cleared up my acne and got rid of all my active acne which left me with the scarring that can be seen in many of the pictures that I post in my blogs.

Hopefully you're still with me...

So this is what brings me to THIS blog post. My very first demonstration of the Banish Acne Scars System!

In the Kit that I received there was an information sheet which explained how the system works, how to use it, notes, etc. 

How the Roller Works (taken directly from Daisy Jing's information sheet that comes with the Banish Acne Scars Kit)

 

The bristles on the roller puncture micro tiny holes so tiny that it will not produce any scars.  These holes dig deeper into the epidermis of the skin.  To fix this "hole" the skin produces collagen and elastin.  This will help new skin rebuild itself and repair the scar.  

For most of our skincare, the serums and creams we use only penetrate the upper dermis of the skin, not penetrating the inner most parts of skin.  Therefore for effective treatment, it's necessary to treat the deepest layers of skin.  The minuscule "hole" in the skin creates a channel for vitamin rich serum to penetrate the skin.  

Directions (taken directly from Daisy Jing's information sheet that comes with the Banish Acne Scars Kit) 

1.  Start with a clean face. Wash your skin with the Banish Acne Scars cleanser.
2.  Sterilize your roller every time you use it.  Pour some alcohol into the cleaning container.  Set the roller head in the container for at least 30 minutes.
3.  You are now ready to begin.  Clean and sanitize your hands.  It's important to have a clean area so the area you will be treating will not get infected.
4, 5 & 6.  Start with a small area and move back and forth a few times.  Start out gradually with a few strokes.  After going in one direction, move perpendicular to that area and roll the roller back and forth.  Move along directions of the face.  Avoid eye area.
7.  When done rolling, apply some of the serum onto the skin.  Apply a dropper full of serum on palms and gently pat along the face.
8.  Avoid wearing makeup or creams for the rest of the day.  Skincare and makeup routine can be followed as normal the following day. 
9.  Clean roller again and dry before storing it back in the case.  It's important not to store a wet roller in the case, as bacteria could grow. 

Notes (taken directly from Daisy Jing's information sheet that comes with the Banish Acne Scars Kit) 

• Roller should be used a maximum of 10 times before purchase of another roller.  The reason for this is to avoid any infection on the skin.  Additionally, it is best to replace the needles as old needles can be dull and injure the skin.
• Store Vitamin Rich Serum in a cool, dark place.  When the serum becomes a golden yellow colour, it means it has oxidized.  It is recommended that the serum be repurchased every 2 months, as efficacy will fade away over time. 
• Do not share roller with anyone.
• Please note that scarring is damage to the skin and don't believe any product or treatment that will guarantee flawless skin overnight! It takes months, upon years, for the skin to heal.

(Video Demonstration)

Click here to purchase products from Banish Acne Scars!

Stay tuned for my next blog post and take care,
Glynn

“One should be able to see things as hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise."

F. Scott Fitzgerald